Hub-stretcher.



Patented Oct. 8,A 190|.

UNTTED STATES nLoNoRE MAZTER,

PATENT Orricn.

or PARIs, FRANCE.

HUB-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 684,285, dated October8, 1901.

Application led July 2,1901. Serial No. 66.867. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom/ it 77mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, ELONORE MAZIER, a citizen of the French Republic,residing at Paris, France, have invented a new and ImprovedHub-Stretcher, (for which I have obtained a French patent, No. 308,003,dated February Il, 1901,) of which the following is a specication.

The object of this invention is to give a uniform tension to themetallic spokes of motor road-vehicles, bicycles, and other vehicles bylessening or increasing the distance between the flanges of the hub, onwhich the lower extremities of the spokes are placed. This dispositionhas the further advantage of facilitating the partial setting andremoval of the spokes and putting them in order at once, so that anybodycan easily do this work.

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood, reference ismade to the annexed drawings, in which-- Figure l is a sectional view ofmy hubstretcher. Figs. 2 and 3 represent a spoke; Fig. 4, a separateView of a flange of the hub; and Fig. 5 shows the wheel, on a smallscale, supplied with its spokes.

In all the figures the same letters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

A is a central axle like those of all ballbearing wheels. The nuts B andB and balls C C are likewise introduced only to show how myhub-stretcher is placed; but those parts are in no wise dierent fromthose already known, and consequently do not constitute part of myinvention.

My hub-streicher is made of the following pieces:

D is a flange firmly fixed to the tube E, which is threaded on theinside. F is the opposite iiange, turning freely on the tube G, threadedon the outside. This flange is held between the nut H and a steel ringI, lixed on the tube G.

H is a six-sided nut actuating the tube G.

The tubes E and G have a male and female thread, respectively, so thatbyscrewing one into the other by means of the nut H, which is moved by ascrew-key, the cheeks D and F are brought nearer, and by unscrewing theyare separated from each other, thereby pro= ducing a tension. My systemof tension is entirely based on this disposition, and I mount the spokeson the wheels as follows: I bring the flange D nearer to the flange F byscrewing the two tubes into each other. Then I put the head .I of thespoke K into a hole L of the flange D. I introduce the other extremityof the spoke into a cylindroconic nut M, of copper or other metal, whichslides freely along the spokes. Then I solder a little stop N on theextremity of the spoke, thus preventing the nut M from coming out of thespoke again. This little stop is soldered, so as to give the same lengthto all the spokes, and it rests inside the nut M on the bottom. The nutM is then brought up to one of the holes formed in the rim correspondingto the hole in the flange D. Then into this hole of the rim, at the sideof the groove, is introduced a convex-headed bolt O, which screws intothe inside threaded part of the nut M. Everything is tightened at thesame time, and in this way the spoke is held in its place. As may beseen, the nut M has sides which give a grip to a key-screw. Thisdisposition has the further advantage of allowing the spokes to be setin and taken out without removing the tires afterward. The setting ofthe other spokes is effected in the same Way, care being taken toproperly choose the holes in the rim and the holes in the fiange, whichmust correspond, as usual. When all the spokes are set in,they areuniformly stretched by increasing the distance between the flanges D andF by unscrewing the two tubes E G with a screw-key which acts on the nutH. The movement of separation is stopped when the tension of the spokesis sufficient.

What I claim is-g l. A hubstretcher for spokes of wheels of bicycles,motor road-vehicles or other wheels with tension-spokes, consisting of atube provided with exterior male threads, a second tube provided withinterior female threads engaging the male threads of the first-mentionedtube, a rigid ange provided upon one of the aforesaid tubes, and aVlongitudinallymovable flange parallel with the first-nientioned ange,substantially as described.

2. A hub-stretcher for spokes of wheels of bicycles, motor road-vehiclesor other vwheels with tension-spokes, consisting of a tube pro IOO videdwith exterior male threads, a second tube provided with interior femalethreads engaging the male threads of the first-mentioned tube, a rigidange provided upon the said second tube, anda second Hange parallel withthe rst-mentioned-tlange and longitudinally movable upon the said secondtube, substantially as described.

3. A hub-stretcher for spokes of Wheels of bicycles, motor road-vehiclesor other Wheels with tension-spokes, consisting of a tube provided withexterior male threads, a second tube provided with interior femalethreads engaging the male threads of the first-mentioned tube, a rigidflange provided upon the said second tube, and a second flange mountedupon the first-mentioned tube and longitudinally movable upon the saidsecond tube, the said rst-mentioned tube provided with means forpreventing any movement other than rotary between the second-namedtiange @Mese and the first-mentioned tube, substantialiy.Y

attached to a tube E, threaded on the inside and an opposite flange Fturning freely (on a tube G, threaded on the outside) between a nut Hand a steel ring I fixed on the said tube G the whole working on theaxle of the Wheel and serving to increase or lessen theV distancebetween the flanges D and F so as to respectively stretch or slacken thespokes of the Wheel substantiallyas above described.Y In testimonywhereof I have signed myV name to this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

I ELEONORE MAZIER. Witnesses:

G. LOMBARD CONNEVILLE, REN DEFONTENAY.

